


Cipher Falls

by McNuggets



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Bill Cipher Returns, Demon Deals, F/M, Gen, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22260034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McNuggets/pseuds/McNuggets
Summary: On your way to see your aunt you run into a curious pit stop in the middle of nowhere and an even more curious-looking boy.
Relationships: Bill Cipher/Reader
Comments: 11
Kudos: 58





	Cipher Falls

It was finally summer, your mind was on swimming at the pool and spending time with friends, maybe seeing time movies and going roller skating. It was your last summer before leaving school and you wanted to make the most of it, though you didn't expect that your parents had other ideas in mind. It was how you ended up on a Greyhound going north, away from your parents and friends, the roller rink, swimming pool, the movie theatre. It was your dad's idea that you went to visit your aunt before going to college, which meant that you were going to visit your cousins. Your… weird… cousins.

You didn’t _hate_ your cousins, more so, you were afraid of them. They were creepy, twins, just like your two siblings. Though they took their twin-ness to another level entirely with the made-up language that they spoke around 99% of the time, and you knew they were talking about you. Now you had to go to the Oregon coast and help your aunt in her odds-and-ends shop for the entire summer, while your own sisters were enjoying their summer at a camp.

You were the only singular entity in a family full of twins. Your dad and aunt were twins, your cousins were twins, your sisters were twins. They often spoke of their uncles, who were also twins. Great Great Uncle Stan and Stanford. One of them was in prison for tax fraud, while the other went on a boating excursion to the Bermuda Triangle. There was always a story that came with your great uncles. Many stories, with each one being more outlandish than the last. You were often told about the old town your father and aunt went to for the summer as children, where the weirdest shit happened almost daily. You couldn’t really believe that the world almost was plunged into Armageddon by a demonic entity, or that your father had been possessed because he was foolish enough to make a deal with it. Or that your aunt had a battle with unicorns.

No wonder your cousins were creepy…

The place they used to go to had been real at one point, a town called Gravity Falls. Though according to your dad, the place became dilapidated and run down after the richest family in town had moved and those who lived there gradually left. The last ones to live there were your great uncles, up until Great Great Uncle Stan was imprisoned for white-collar crimes and his brother left to search the great wonders of the world.

Your family was strange, you could say that much. Sometimes you felt like the odd one out, especially when you weren’t a twin. There was no secret language, no strange adventure, you were the oddity in your family, the one who studied science instead of the paranormal. Your father was obsessed with demonology and your mother was a well-known chainsaw artist. Your aunt hunted for fairies and her husband was rumored to once be a merman, not that you believed that story. Although Mermando was an off-putting name in general.

You never once encountered anything that your parents did. You were never in peril for fear of your life or facing down gnomes. You never encountered demons or sasquatch or mermaids or anything of the like. Your life was normal for the most part, as normal as you liked it to be outside of the abnormal of what your family exerted. _You_ were normal for the most part.

Your thoughts were torn away when the bus came to a slow and abrupt stop. You blinked and glanced outside the window, spotting nothing but trees. You looked the other way and saw a gas station and a tiny run-down village.

” Fifteen-minute break!” The bus driver called out, ”Be back in time or we're leaving you.”

You slipped off your earbuds just in time and turned off your music. You looked at your phone and noticed the time, looking over at your reception and spotting that you had no service. You let out a tired sigh, getting up and shuffling off the bus after everyone else had gotten out. You lingered near the door, looking around the little gas station and shrugging lightly, heading inside so you could go to the bathroom and buy a sandwich.

By the time you came back out you took another look at your phone, noting that you had time to eat. You wandered off to a sitting rock and unwrapped the sandwich, taking a lingering look at the scenery of the forest. It was quite beautiful here, almost serene. You idly felt the pendant on your chain, the one your father gave you to ward off demons. You didn't quite understand why he told you to keep it on, but you weren't one to complain. The only downside was your hair often tangled up in the chain and tugged on it after taking a nap. As you thought about the chain tugging your hair you winced, sighing and setting your sandwich aside to take the chain off your neck. ”I could just replace the chain.” You said to yourself, dropping the necklace into your bag as soon as it was free from your hair.

”Hey.”

You cried out a little, almost falling off of the rock before catching yourself. You turned to the voice and noticed _him_. He looked just about your age, his skin was dark and his eyes were amber. Well, eye. He had one free moving eye and the other was covered with a patch. He didn't look out of place, his hair matching his eyes while his clothes were completely black. You tried a smile. Did he live here? You didn't see him on the bus.

”Can I help you?” You asked.

The boy was staring at you, namely the pine tree earrings dangling from your ears. ”Nice earrings.” He commented instead of what he was going to say. ”You like trees?”

You idly felt one of the earrings and laughed slightly. ”My aunt made them, actually. It's a pun on my name.”

He quirked a brow. ”Your name is pine tree?”

_Lesson one on demons, don't tell them your name._

”No, no. My name is (Y/N). My _last_ name is Pines.” You clarified, flicking one of the earrings. ”Though trees are pretty nice.” You gestured around the two of you at the dense forest.

”Yeah. Trees are nice.” The boy smiled, ”But pine trees are my favorite. Yet...you’re more of a pine cone.” He looked away after that, grinning slowly. ”Do you like having your fortune told?”

You watched him, shifting a little to face him fully. ”I don't have much time--” You gestured back towards the bus but he shook his head.

”It'll just take a second. Come on, it’s free.” He grabbed for your hand and led you away. You didn't have much choice but to follow him, leaving your half-eaten sandwich on the rock. You wondered if he did this often to visitors, and you took out your phone to check the time. He caught sight of that and snatched it away with his free hand.

”She won't appreciate you doing that.” He chastised, leading you to a small shack on a hill filled with similar shacks. You glanced back down the hill and saw the bus, swallowing thickly before following him inside.

Before you in the dark lit shack was an old lady wearing a purple shawl. She sat before a small table, looking at you expectantly. ”Take a seat, miss.”

You looked at the blonde boy and back at her, biting your lip hesitantly.

The old woman chuckled. ”You don't believe in fortune-telling, do you child?”

”No, not really.” You answered honestly, wondering how she knew. It was probably written on your face. Something she could pick up by your hesitation. You heard the other boy clear his throat and you finally took a seat on the cushion before her.

”You don't believe in much, do you? Born from a family that dabbles in the paranormal but you have always shied away from it. You're not like the others.”

It was hard to reply to her spot-on assumption, wondering how she could have known that. You felt somewhat defensive and bothered. ”There’s nothing wrong with being normal.”

There was a laugh from the boy beside you and you winced. You did your best to ignore him, just wondering who this boy was. He still had your phone…

”You are anything but normal, child.” Said the woman, ”You are marked. Your fate was decided once you were born. There's a reason you were warded against evil.” She grinned, exposing lack of teeth in some areas. You felt a cold chill run down your spine at her words.

_Lesson two on demons, don't trust strangers._

”What do you mean my fate was decided?” You asked wearily.

”Because your father had made a deal with a demon, and he's come to collect his payment.”

You suddenly heard a noise that shattered through your thoughts, and you looked over to the boy beside you. ”My time’s up!” You cried, hurriedly grabbing the phone from his hand and scrambling to your feet to leave the shack. You didn't notice how much the boy was grinning, too focused on the bus that was rolling away from the gas station and heading down the road. ”Wait!” You cried, running as fast as your legs could take you.

By the time you made it to the road, the bus was nothing but a speck in the distance. You let out a small squeak and collapsed to the pavement, burying your face in your hands.

”Aw, that's quite a shame.” Came the boy’s voice. You went rigid and narrowed your eyes, getting back up and turning to him. He looked sympathetic to your plight, almost guilty. ”My bad.”

”Of course it’s _your bad._ ” You ground out, shoving past him and back to the gas station. He followed you closely, whistling a pleasant tune.

”You know, this doesn't have to be a loss.” He said reassuringly, ”It's perfectly easy to make the most of this bad situation.”

”What I'm going to do is call my aunt and wait for her to get down here.” You pulled your phone out and checked the reception again, frowning when it still said NO SIGNAL. You let out a frustrated groan and went into the small shop, stopping once you were upfront. ”Excuse me. I need to use your phone.”

The man behind the counter looked at you for a moment before looking at the blonde boy next to you. The boy only nodded and shrugged freely. ”I suppose.” He said then, handing you the landline phone. ”Make it quick. I run a business.”

You took a look around the empty store and rolled your eyes, taking out your phone to get Aunt Mabel’s number and entering it into the rotary phone. Why was it a rotary phone? You put that thought aside as you waited through the rings.

”Hello?” Your aunt’s voice was cheerful, and you sighed, happy to hear her voice.

”Aunt Mabel?” You questioned. “It’s (Y/N). I missed the bus!”

“O--h--you--left--bus? --me --t--go--I’ll come--you-” Her voice was starting to get choppy and it made you panic slightly, holding the phone tight as you became nervous.

“Aunt Mabel I was on I-90 and we’re in a forest, some dingy old rest stop--” You began to hear static, “Aunt Mabel?”

“(Y/N)--repeat--again---hear--where--you--”

You began to hyperventilate, because if you were having trouble hearing her then she was having trouble hearing you too. “The reception is bad! D-don’t worry I’ll try to get a ride!”

“No one actually comes through here.” The boy interjected, making you glare at him. He held his hands up, “Just sayin’, you guys were the only ones who came through here in weeks.”

Aunt Mabel’s voice became nothing but jumbled noise and static and soon there was nothing but a dial tone. You hung up the phone, groaning as you felt a headache come on. “I’m going to walk, then.” You say, handing the phone back to the man behind the counter.

“You crazy? There’s nothing for at least 100 miles. You’re most likely going to get eaten by a bear.” The man told you.

You turned away and headed back out, straightening up your cardigan. “My mom taught me how to live out in the wild. I can do this.” You say loudly, heading back into the road. Of course, the blonde boy followed you, laughing lightly.

“Gee kid, you remind me of this guy I used to know. He was as stubborn as you are being right now. Kinda reckless too, I don’t think you should go out there on your own. It’s going to get dark and scary things come out when it gets dark.”

You didn’t like how he was following you, like some kind of lost puppy but more annoying. “I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not saying you can’t.” He frowned, catching up to walk at your side. “I’m just suggesting something else. You know, I have a way you could get out of your dilemma.” He smiled once you stopped and turned to face him. “It won’t hurt a bit either, easy peasy.”

You thought about it for a moment, wondering if this was a trick or something. Technically this boy stranded you here without reception or a way out, but he didn't do it intentionally, right? You couldn't think why anyone would want to do that to you on purpose. He had nothing to gain for it. On the other hand, trying his suggestion might do something. Did he know a way to a satellite tower you could get to? Was there a nearby town that was deep in the forest with a police officer? Was he a serial killer that might murder you deep in the forest? You laughed slightly at the last option because it was silly.

You could vaguely hear your dad’s paranoid ramblings in your head, warning you against demons and anything abnormal. He often tried to teach you about them, but you never paid attention. Demons weren't real.

You looked up, noticing the sky slowly becoming dark. ”Well if you promise to murder me quickly and painlessly I'll follow you wherever.” You said jokingly, grinning at him.

The boy let out a loud laugh, ”You’re funny. I like you already, Pine Cone. I'm not gonna kill you if that's what you’re worried about.” He led you back into the small town, ”Follow me.”

You smiled a bit from the nickname he gave you, realizing that you never got the boy’s name. ”Oh, you know my name already. What’s your name? I never meant to ask.”

The boy grinned, ”You can call me Bill.”

_The third rule against demons, the most important rule: Don't trust anyone named Bill!_

You vaguely recalled something your father said, but you dismissed it as quickly as it came. You took in his name, ”Bill.”

”Or William, if you prefer.” He shrugged. ”On second thought--no. Just call me Bill.” Bill reached out to take your hand and led you further into the forest. ”I want to show you something, Pine Cone.”

You followed Bill, who seemed to know the forest pretty well, knowing where to step and where not to cross, he led you further and further away from the dingy rest stop and into a clearing. You could hear the forest now, everything that resided inside of it. It was beautiful. Though the odd thing was, there was still light, as if the sun hadn't gone down at all. You wondered if this was a trick to your senses.

”We're here.” Bill pulled you along, knocking you out of your thoughts and towards a...statue. It looked old, covered in moss and flowers. It depicted a one-eyed pyramid looking character with a top-hat. His hand was outstretched as if waiting for someone to take it. You looked at the statue for a while, reaching out to touch the stone. ”Huh.” You said. ”What is it of?”

”A demon.” Bill answered truthfully. You paused at the admission and looked over at him, almost skeptic.

”Not you too.” You finally said, ”Demons aren't real.”

Bill quirked a brow. ”What makes you think that?”

”Science.” You say with a frown, tracing your fingers along the statue. ”There is no evidence of demons, it's all folklore.”

”Well I never thought I'd hear that.” Bill chuckled, watching you with amusement. ”Not that I hadn't heard it from anyone before, no. I've heard people deny the existence of demons for ages, but coming from you? Isn't your dad a demonologist?”

You froze, ”How did you--”

”The fortune teller told me.” He said quickly, folding his arms. ”Anyway I woulda think you should listen to your dad, kid.”

”I stopped listening to him after he scared away one of my friends.” You say in aggravation. ”His name was Bill, too. I was forbidden to talk to him and my friend eventually called me a freak and started spreading rumors about my family.”

”Ouch.” Bill looked amused, ”That sounds pretty rough, Pine Cone. Your dad sounds like he has problems with people named Bill.”

”My dad is paranoid.” You dug into your bag and pulled out the pendant to show it to him. ”He wanted me never to take this off, he told me it would protect me against demons, all it does is snag on my hair and annoy me.”

He made a thoughtful noise, studying the pendant but not touching it. ”He sounds _very_ paranoid. Maybe he had a bad run-in with a demon, do ya think?”

You put the pendant away and shake your head. ”He claims that he stopped a demon when he was a kid, preventing Armageddon. I don't know if I believe it.”

Bill chuckled to something only he knew about, thinking. ”If I told you that you could meet a real-life demon, would you go for it?”

You turn away from him, ”Real life proof? You mean he would be right in front of me?”

”In the flesh.” Bill grinned. ”And he could save you from being lost in the woods. All you have to do is make a deal with him.”

”In turn for my soul, right?” You say sarcastically. He laughs again and shakes his head.

”Nah, for you, he’d do it for free. You're special.” Bill stepped closer to you, ”He’s trapped inside that statue, but not fully. He’s able to manipulate everything around him, but while he's stuck like that he’s fully powerless. If you really want to see your dear aunt Mabel, then he’s your only shot.”

_Rule four in dealing with demons,_ **_do not_ ** _make deals!_

You turned your head, catching a good view of Bill’s amber eye. It glistened like gold and you couldn't look away from it. Eventually, he turned and the spell was broken, freeing you from his gaze. You turned your eyes back to the statue, mainly the outstretched hand. You felt curious. The opportunity to actually see a demon for yourself sounded interesting.

”I guess I have nothing to lose.” You say then, moving to grasp the stone hand.

What happened next was your surroundings had changed drastically, all the colors became grayscale and suddenly everything felt cold. The statue in your hands slowly dissolved from your touch, the dust from the stone swirling in place and gravitating around Bill.

“You see, Pine Cone. You really should have been listening to your dad.” He began, his eye beginning to glow. You froze to the spot, unable to turn your eyes away or move as if you were stuck in your place. “There’s a really good reason for him trying to turn you against demons. You know that demon he fought against while he was little, well that demon goes by the name of Bill Cipher, and oh boy was that such a wild ride. I could have gotten away with so much but no, your dad was so _persistent_ and _annoying_! He had just a wonderful time trapping me in that statue, yet he only trapped 80% of my power.” He grinned slowly, stepping forward to cup your cheek with his hand, his entire form shifting as he did, becoming an exact replica of the statue, a yellow triangle with a singular eye, a bow tie, and a tophat. His eye was burning like fire. “Now look what we have here, Pine Tree’s little Pine Cone, the second generation of my greatest annoyance. Wouldn’t he be surprised about your little discovery, that his dear daughter had freed me out of her own free will!” He laughed madly, an insane cackle that reverberated through your body. 

“Oh, dear Pine Cone, the Fortune Teller was very, very right about you. You see, you are quite marked. Have been long before you were born!” He flicked his fingers, and an image appeared behind him, your mother in the delivery room, pregnant and talking to a doctor. Your father was sitting at her side, worried sick. “Your mother was having a little trouble with the labor, and it was looking like you were going to die before you could ever get to live.” The image changed to in the corridor of the hospital, on a row of chairs just outside room. Your father was sitting with his elbows on his knees, worrying his hands together. “Your dad, he was so, so desperate to make sure nothing happened, so he made a deal.”

_“I’ll do anything to make sure my child’s born safe. Please, God, anyone, whoever’s up there, just give me a sign!”_

_Dipper didn’t expect the surroundings to go monotone in color and he froze still, looking around bewilderedly. He hadn’t been in the mindscape since..._

_“So, little Pine Tree wants a favor!” A familiar voice sounded small, but it was definitely him. Dipper looked and he could see Bill clearly, albit a smaller version of himself. “You know how much I like favors.” Bill continued._

_Dipper almost fell off the chair, “Aren’t you supposed to be sealed away? What the hell are you doing here!” He cried out._

_“Pine Tree, this is something about demons you need to know. Make a contract with them and a part of yourself becomes intertwined with that demon. I’m a part of you, Pine Tree. Isn’t that fun? It’s like I’ve never left at all.” He tapped his cane on the seat he was standing on, whistling. “I’ve been waiting for you to make a plea for help, and now here you are. Sounds like your gal’s havin’ trouble with the delivery. Pine Tree, you’re making baby Pine Cones! I’m so proud of you! The conception was pretty entertaining, I can tell you that much--”_

_Dipper slapped his hands over his ears, “Jesus Christ, don’t say that!” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, that the demon was tied to him. That the demon had been with him at every moment. That the demon was watching him have sex with Wendy… Dipper shuddered, not really wanting to think about that part. Ever._

_Bill cleared his throat, leaning against his cane. “So, Pine Tree, you wanna save your little girl?”_

_“My little--” Dipper removed his hands from his ears, staring at the tiny triangle demon. “I’m having a girl?” He asked, a tear prickling out of his eye._

_“Not unless you make a deal with me.” Bill said teasingly, “The pregnancy is a rough one, she’s not ready yet. Chances are that girl’s going to die two hours after being born. You really don’t want to see that, do you? Oh that would be so_ **_heartbreaking_ ** _for the both of you.”_

_Dipper dropped to his knees to get on the same level as the tiny Bill, clasping his hands together. “I can’t lose her, Bill. I don’t want to put Wendy through any of that. We’ve tried so, so hard for a child and to have her being taken away--” He stopped suddenly, trying hard not to cry. He breathed a shaky sigh and gathered his strength. “What do you want out of this?”_

_Bill perked up, “Oh now we get to the details! You know how I roll, Pine Tree. If you want your daughter to survive the birth, then I have a single stipulation.” He tipped his hat._

_“What...is the stipulation?” Dipper asked hesitantly, almost breathless._

_“That she’ll become my bride when she’s of age.” Bill said smoothly._

_Dipper winced, cringing at the thought. He could have his daughter but she would belong to Bill after she was eighteen. It sounded so horrible, and of course Bill would think of it. He just wanted to get back at Dipper for what he did, and this made sure that he got back at Dipper for everything he did to him. But… there had to be ways to get around a demon’s deal, was there? He had at least eighteen years to find out how to keep his daughter safe from her impending fate. The one thing he didn’t want to do was lose her, and by God he wasn’t going to allow Bill to steal his first born away from him._

_“I… accept.” Dipper said after a long hesitant pause, looking almost tired. “But with one exception.” He added._

_Bill watched him, seemingly interested and amused at Dipper’s moxy. “What’s the exception you’re thinking of.”_

_Dipper sat up straighter, looking Bill straight in the eye. “If I can find a way to keep my daughter from your little stipulation, then you won’t be able to have her.” He said then. “You really think that I am going to willingly give you my only child so easily?”_

_Bill laughed, extremely delighted at the human’s words. “Oh Pine Tree, you haven’t changed a bit. Alright, I’ll accept your exception, but tricking a demon is a pretty hard thing to do. I’ll let you try your hardest to keep her from me, but if you fail… she’s mine.”_

_“I won’t fail.” Dipper said confidently._

_Bill held out his hand after that, and Dipper took it. As soon as it happened Dipper could hear nurses running down the corridor. He blinked, and the monotone colors were gone, and so was Bill. The doctor and the nurses went into Wendy’s room quickly, and Dipper followed. She was having the baby._

You couldn’t believe what you were seeing, your heart twisting with every moment that passed.

“Guess what, little Pine Cone?” Bill asked. “Your dad failed his task.”

A maniacal laugh followed his words and you felt your knees buckle, and you collapsed to the ground, covering your ears with your hands.

Why did you take off that pendant?

**Author's Note:**

> it's supposed to end like that.


End file.
